Now is the time to comment on your local taxes

by Steve Reinbrecht

Municipal officials in Southwestern Berks have started the process of calculating how much to charge you for their services.

And they want you to come to the meetings to examine the budgets and comment on tax plans for Lower Heidelberg, South Heidelberg, Sinking Spring and Wernersville.

“This is your money, to be blunt,” said Lower Heidelberg secretary Theresa Connors. 

“Taxpayers should have an interest and should have a say.”

Sinking Spring plans to adopt its final budget tonight, Thursday, Dec. 1. It calls for a tax increase of 0.68 mill, to a total of 8 mills. That would add $136 a year to a property assessed at $200,000.

South Heidelberg supervisors have proposed increasing property taxes by 0.75 mill, which would add $150 a year for a house assessed at $200,000.

Supervisors plan to vote on the proposed budget and tax increase Dec. 8. South Heidelberg has 21.5 employees.

The township increased its contribution to the Wernersville Library from $14,542 to $18,178, or $2.50 a year for each resident.

South Heidelberg’s 2017 preliminary budget calls for total expenditures that are about $44,000 higher than those in the 2016 budget’s, a rise of less than 2 percent.

On the other hand, with the proposed tax increase, budgeted revenues would rise almost $415,000, or 13 percent over revenues budgeted in 2016.

South Heidelberg would have a fund balance of almost $1.4 million, up 30 percent over the fund balance in the 2016 budget.

Kudos to South Heidelberg for posting its complete preliminary budget on the township’s website.

Lower Heidelberg’s preliminary budget, adopted Nov. 21, calls for no tax increase. The township didn’t raise taxes in 2016 or 2015, and actually lowered them in 2014.

Lower Heidelberg supervisors plan to vote on the proposed budget Dec. 19.

The township also increased its contribution to the Wernersville Library, from $6,891 to $16,539, or $3 a head.

Under the proposed 2017 budget, township employees would start contributing to health-insurance costs. Lower Heidelberg employs 16 full-time workers and 2 part-time workers.

The preliminary budget calls for expenditures of about $3.11 million, up $110,000 from the 2016 budget.

The budget’s expenditures are balanced to the dollar. The township has a reserve fund outside the budget of about $1 million.

Wernersville plans to adopt a preliminary budget at a public meeting Dec. 7.

Police service generally takes up the biggest part of municipal budgets. Local municipalities also maintain roadways, provide zoning and planning oversight, and contribute to fire departments and ambulance companies.